10 courses offered in the Department of Archaeology
Archaeological Research - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for research, theory and education in archaeology. The MPhil in Archaeological Research is a research degree for students who already have significant experience in archaeology at undergraduate level and who wish to pursue a focused research project under academic guidance.
Often a stepping stone toward PhD studies, this course allows students considerable freedom in designing an independent course of study under the direction of a supervisor. The MPhil in Archaeological Research provides training in archaeological research methods and associated transferable skills, and the opportunity to complete long essays and an extended dissertation under academic guidance. Applicants will normally have already assembled an appropriate data set and questions for their dissertation research project at the time of application. This dissertation and its topic are often considered as stepping stone for pursuing a PhD, but may also be taken as a standalone MPhil degree.
Interested students should contact potential supervisors before applying to confirm that they are interested in supervising the project study, and to discuss research ideas and feasibility.
Archaeological Science - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for research, theory and education in archaeology. The Department is among the very few in Europe that can offer truly comprehensive training across the sciences, covering both biological and non-biological materials, and in archaeological theory. Many members of academic staff and research fellows specialise in different strands of archaeological science. The Department has state-of the-art laboratory facilities and shares resources with other Departments and Faculties.
Archaeological science has experienced phenomenal growth in the last two decades. Many of the most prominent archaeological research projects globally include input from the sciences, and there is a great need for researchers with interdisciplinary training, capable of engaging critically with archaeological questions while upholding the best standards of scientific practice.
The MPhil in Archaeological Science introduces students to the main theories and research approaches in archaeological science, particularly in the fields of archaeological materials science, environmental archaeology and biomolecular archaeology.
Archaeology - PhD
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for research, theory and education in archaeology. It offers an outstanding environment for research and supervision leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Archaeology. Doctoral students may work on a wide range of archaeological topics ranging in time from the Palaeolithic to the modern day, and anywhere in the world. We also specialise in archaeological theory, heritage studies, Assyriology, Egyptology and archaeological science.
Applications to carry out doctoral research within these research areas are welcomed from well-qualified candidates. Applicants should contact potential supervisors for discussions before they make their formal applications and name them on their application.
Archaeology - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for research, theory and education in archaeology. Our MPhil in Archaeology is a broad course that combines lectures, seminars and research for a dissertation. This course incorporates teaching that gives students a critical appreciation of archaeology, the human past, and its place in the modern world, as well as training in research methods and skills, theory and analytical skills. It also enables a level of specialisation in a chosen specialist area, though not all course options are available every year.
The MPhil in Archaeology provides training in archaeological research methods and associated transferable skills, and the opportunity to complete coursework and a research dissertation under academic guidance. This course may be taken as a standalone MPhil degree, or it can be used as a springboard for going on to pursue a PhD.
Assyriology - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for the study of Mesopotamia. This taught MPhil recruits students who are prepared for graduate work and wish to undertake research in the field of ancient Mesopotamia, making use of the wealth of information to be derived from the cuneiform textual sources.
Students choose from a range of modules covering Akkadian and Sumerian language, and the cultures, history, and archaeology of Mesopotamia. The combination of Sumerian and Akkadian is at the discretion of the MPhil course coordinator. Not all modules will be available in all years. Students develop a research project for a dissertation on a topic agreed with a dissertation supervisor; the supervisor provides support and guidance throughout the process of developing and writing up the research project.
Biological Anthropological Science - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for the study of Biological Anthropology, straddling both Anthropology and the biological sciences more broadly. The MPhil in Biological Anthropological Science provides students with the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a research project - designing, implementing and writing a substantial piece of research in the course of one year. This world-class Master's degree by research, in which the sole requirement is a thesis, is suitable for those who have a strong background in Biological Anthropology and closely related fields, possibly including research experience. Interested students should contact potential supervisors before applying to confirm that they are interested in supervising the project, and to discuss research ideas and feasibility.
An MPhil in Biological Anthropological Science may be obtained after one year of research (or 2 years if undertaken part-time) on an approved subject within the field of Biological Anthropology. The topic is decided between the student and the supervisor, and guidance is provided on elements of methodology and analysis, as well as with the written presentation. The output of the research project is usually either a substantial thesis or 1-2 scientific articles in publishable format.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to approach a potential research supervisor for informal discussions before finalising their applications.
Biological Anthropology - PhD
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for the study of Biological Anthropology, straddling both Anthropology and the biological sciences more broadly. It offers an outstanding environment for research and supervision leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biological Anthropology. Doctoral students may work on a wide range of topics, including human evolution, bioarchaeology, human behavioural ecology, primate behaviour and evolution, comparative human biology and health, evolutionary medicine, human evolutionary genetics and Bioinformatics, primatology, prehistoric archaeology, and cultural evolution.
Applications to carry out doctoral research within these fields are welcomed from well-qualified candidates. Applicants should contact potential supervisors for discussions to confirm that they are interested in supervising the study, and to discuss project ideas and feasibility before they make their formal applications and name the potential supervisor on their application.
Egyptology - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for the study of the languages, history and archaeology of Ancient Egypt. The MPhil in Egyptology allows students to extend their knowledge of Ancient Egyptian archaeology, history, language and culture and to develop independent research under the guidance of an academic supervisor. Students choose from a range of modules covering Egyptian archaeology and various stages of the Egyptian language, including Coptic and Demotic. Not all modules are available every year. It is also possible, at the discretion of the course director, to choose one module from another Archaeology MPhil programme. Students develop a research project for a dissertation on a topic agreed with a dissertation supervisor; the supervisor provides support and guidance through the process of developing and writing up the research project.
This MPhil is appropriate for students who are prepared for postgraduate work and who wish to undertake research in Egyptology, but who need further training in either the language(s) or the archaeology of the region. The student may choose either an archaeological or a linguistic emphasis. Interested students should contact potential supervisors before applying to confirm that they are interested in supervising the project and to discuss research ideas and feasibility.
Heritage Studies - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is a leading centre for the study of the uses of the past in the present and the different ways heritage is used in today’s social and political contexts, with a dedicated Centre for Heritage Studies. To support their teaching programme in heritage academic staff also draw on the resources of several other Departments and Faculties in the University of Cambridge and reflect and promote the interdisciplinarity which is characteristic of the field.
The MPhil in Heritage Studies provides a world-class Master’s-level education in the interdisciplinary field of Heritage Studies. The MPhil programme emphasises critical thinking about heritage and approaches that seek to analyse and understand the many ways heritage is involved in key contemporary challenges facing society. Students will attain a critical appreciation of the development of heritage as a public enterprise, its theory, its values and its uses.
The programme is built around two distinctive themes: the use of the past in the present and the different ways heritage is used in today’s social and political contexts. The MPhil in Heritage Studies combines interactive teaching, seminars and research-based learning. Central part of the training is the Heritage Seminar every Thursday lunchtime during term time. In addition to dedicated modules on heritage, students may choose a module from the MPhil in Archaeology. This allows them to specialise in heritage issues affecting particular areas of the world or types of heritage.
Human Evolutionary Studies - MPhil
The Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading centres for the study of Biological Anthropology, straddling both Anthropology and the biological sciences more broadly. The MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies provides a world-class Master’s-level education in the interdisciplinary field of human evolutionary studies. Over the course of ten months, students are exposed to the theories and controversies of studying humans from an evolutionary perspective, challenged to think critically about how our evolutionary past shapes our present, taught skills in data science that transform their engagement with research, trained on how to communicate scientific ideas and results effectively, and helped in designing and implementing a research project that leads to an original scientific article or substantial dissertation.
The course is divided into taught and research components, and offers a unique opportunity to acquire a broad knowledge base in evolutionary anthropology, while carrying out an in-depth research project on a particular topic. The formal teaching involves lectures, seminars, and practicals on a wide range of topics, such as hominin evolution, primate behaviour and quantitative methods, as well as research skills. MPhil students also attend the BioAnth weekly seminars, join informal discussions with researchers and peers afterwards, and other relevant seminars, workshops and activities.
Students who come to Cambridge to do the MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies are interested in learning about the broad and interdisciplinary field of evolutionary anthropology in depth, and to carry out a research project on a topic within the discipline at postgraduate level. Given that the programme includes both a taught and a research component, its scope is ideal for students who have a background in biological anthropology, evolutionary biology, zoology, archaeology, psychology, and medical and veterinary sciences.
1 course also advertised in the Department of Archaeology
Antarctic Studies - PhD
From the British Antarctic Survey
This PhD course takes place under the joint supervision of a research scientist at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and a University supervisor. Students may be based at BAS but will be registered for their degree with one of the partnering departments: Archaeology, Plant Sciences, Zoology, Earth Sciences, Geography and Scott Polar Research Institute, Applied Mathematics & Theoretical Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Computer Science and Technology.
BAS welcomes enquiries from those interested in higher degrees in earth science subjects, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and related areas.